WEBZINE ACC

To celebrate the 7th anniversary of its founding, the ACC has launched a building blocks art exhibition for children titled A Journey to the Dragon King. It combines storytelling, participatory activities, and elements of play, based on an adaptation of the Korean folk tale and pansori*-based novel Byeoljubujeon.
*Pansori: A traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer

Children are greeted by a collection of vivid, three-dimensional building block works that help understand the storyline, while their parents can revisit the popular folk tale told by sculptures.

A Journey to the Dragon King, 2022

The exhibition is divided into three parts in line with the plot – The Palace of the Dragon King; Toward the Land with the Turtle; and Toward the Sea with the Rabbit.

The instant you step into the hall of Section 1: The Palace of the Dragon King, you will be overwhelmed by the huge, 10-meter-long Dragon King against the backdrop of the underwater palace. As many as 20,000 building blocks were used to build the figure which stands alongside his guards, an octopus, a sea horse, and a catfish to welcome visitors.

The exhibits follow the story with an exciting array of building block works. The Dragon King falls ill with a mysterious disease. He asks his men to go and fetch the liver of a rabbit that can cure him. A turtle who can travel between the sea and the land steps forward to take on the mission.

One corner of the hall is dedicated to a rabbit drawing challenge. Children are invited to draw a portrait of the rabbit to help the turtle and his underwater friends who have no clue what the rabbit looks like. The drawings submitted by previous visitors covering the wall are interesting to look at.

On the way to Section 2, you can find some useful items for the turtle to bring on his first journey to the land. All items are made of building blocks, from an outdoor shell, sunglasses for UV protection, a portrait of the rabbit, a camera to capture scenes on his travel, to a carrot as a gift to give to the rabbit. Adapted storytelling elements make the exhibits more relatable, such as the conversations between characters interpreted in modern-day language, and the turtle’s plan to wear sunglasses to protect the eyes. On the other side, there is a brief overview of the origin of the folk tale and its meaning to help children gain a better understanding of the plot.

At the entrance of the hall of Section 2: Toward the Land with the Turtle, a familiar song is played. It is “Tiger is Coming” by LEENALCHI, a pansori pop band who featured in the ACC’s 2020 animation-based musical Dragon King. The song is a reinterpretation of pansori Sugungga with modern tunes and beats. It serves as a perfect testament to how old Asian stories such as Byeoljubujeon remain relevant today in the new form of performing arts or exhibitions.

LEENALCHI’s performance

Section 2 illustrates turtle’s attempt to lure the rabbit to follow him to the underwater world by boasting about the treasures and delicacies in the palace. Made of building blocks, animals that the turtle encounters on the land are displayed, including a tiger, a deer, a raccoon, a monkey, and a parrot.

As you move to the next section, you can see the submarine that the rabbit uses to travel to the underwater world. In the original folk tale, the rabbit dives into the water, riding on the back of the turtle. The change in the means of transport is another creative twist to the original story.

Section 3: Toward the Sea with the Rabbit is filled with a variety of sea creatures the rabbit come across on his underwater adventure. Children have a chance to see and touch a whale, a seahorse, a squid, a crab, a blowfish, a crawfish, and a ray made of building blocks or even build their own.

When the rabbit finally comes face to face with the Dragon King, he is terrified by the king’s request for his liver. The exhibition has an open ending, which leaves much to the audience’s imagination. It is believed that the original Byeoljubujeon tale also has several endings, as it has been orally transmitted through generations. What ending will children picture in their mind after touring the exhibition A Journey to the Dragon King?

It is believed that the original Byeoljubujeon tale also has several endings, as it has been orally transmitted through generations. What ending will children picture in their mind after touring the exhibition A Journey to the Dragon King?

In the activity zone located next to the last section, children can unwind their imagination and creativity. Challenges like ‘Luring the rabbit’ and ‘The Witty Rabbit’ encourage them to write an ending of their own. They can also build different shapes with building blocks for engaged and creative play.

Created by artist Kim Kye-hyeon, KEPL Art Blocks are specially-designed hexagonal building blocks. Pieces connect together in all directions, offering countless design possibilities. Made of ABS plastic, they are non-toxic and safe for young children to play with.

Children in the activity zone are busy working on their own creations. The blocks are easy to handle and connect even for kindergarteners.

“In most exhibitions, touching the artworks is not allowed in order to protect them. What makes this exhibition so unique is that the exhibits are made of building blocks called KEPL Art Blocks. Children can freely touch and interact with them,” Said Lee Bu-yong who curated the exhibition. He added, “The folk tale the exhibition is based on is also related to oral folk tales in other Asian countries. For future children’s exhibitions, the ACC plans to focus on strengthening storytelling-based cultural content in different Asian countries and cover a diverse genre of art, including media art, immersive content, painting, and installation.”

The exhibition is open from 10 am to 6 pm, with time slots available every hour. The total tour time is 90 minutes which includes 30 minutes for viewing and 60 minutes for KEPL Art Blocks activities. The exhibition runs until February 26, 2023, and more information can be found on the ACC website (https://www.acc.go.kr/).

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